Cycling Miscellany

[OceanBlue]

18.6 mile ride. The weather was better then yesterday but that's not saying much. Hopefully the storm clears out and I can ride in the afternoon tomorrow.

[OceanBlue]

16.8 miles after the storm clean up. We lost power for 13 hours and there was minor flooding(unless it was your house).
Hard faster ride in 10 hours.

[OceanBlue]

19.6 miles this morning. The humidity was down now that the storm has passed which helped make for a nice ride.

[Moliere]

I do a cycling class on Monday at my company's gym. Today a guy showed up in his Ironman 70.3 jersey. I know my experience with these classes is anecdotal, but (until today) I've yet to see anyone where an actual cycling jersey....but I guess if you are going to wear one you might as well wear one that proclaims your awesomeness! FTR, I'm guessing the 70.3 race was in his distant past given his current size.

[Eddie]

I do a cycling class on Monday at my company's gym. Today a guy showed up in his Ironman 70.3 jersey. I know my experience with these classes is anecdotal, but (until today) I've yet to see anyone where an actual cycling jersey....but I guess if you are going to wear one you might as well wear one that proclaims your awesomeness! FTR, I'm guessing the 70.3 race was in his distant past given his current size.

Ha! What makes you think it is even his jersey?

FTR - I haven't ridden a spin bike at a gym in years. But when I did, I didn't ever wear a cycling jersey. I figured the lack of wind resistance made it unnecessary. Of course - perhaps this all changes if he's whipping snacks out of one of his back pockets...then maybe it becomes genius!

[OceanBlue]

20.10 miles this morning. Hot out !

[OceanBlue]

20 miler. Very hot with whitecaps on the bay. Wind on the way back was brutal.

[Bo Diddley]

Started riding my bike to work this week. It's only 8 miles each way, more downhill in the morning, more uphill in the afternoon. Very discouraged about some knee pain on the outside of my left knee. I've been laying back on the pace whenever it hurts, and it's hurt each time I ride. Did some reading and figured it was the IT band. Started doing some dynamic leg stretches my physical therapist taught me for some knee pain while I was running a couple years back (a different kind of knee pain). The ride home today was completely pain free, so I pushed the pace. I think I've just got to keep doing these stretches, and I'll be fine.

[Green Monstah]

I learned a few important lessons on last night's ride:

1. I need to plan my rides to fit within the dwindling daylight hours, otherwise, the exhiliarating downhill rides turn into a minefield of lightning bugs (they hurt when the splat on your face at 25 mph).

2. If I unclip my right foot at an intersection, it is smart not to lean to the left; otherwise, I will fall in seemingly desperate slow motion.

3. If (2) above does occur, be thankful if it occurs in the dark, so no one sees you.

4. Cell phones are the great enemy. I only ride on bike trails that intersect with city streets every couple of miles, and still, a lady on her phone almost clowned me when she had a red light and I had the green.

[OceanBlue]

Bo, good luck with riding to and from work. Sounds fun.
Monsta, I don't think I would ride at night here. I have never had an issue with cars in the morning but in late afternoon I have had several. Drivers just seem more uptight later in the day.

20 miler. Hot and windy. It's pretty flat here but man the wind. I weighed in at 187.5 today. About a 20 pound decrease from six weeks ago. I'm thrilled and feel great. I eat better knowing I'm going to ride the next day and I don't eat as much. Just don't feel like it. I do drink ice cold water all day though.

[Bo Diddley]

Bo, good luck with riding to and from work. Sounds fun.
Monsta, I don't think I would ride at night here. I have never had an issue with cars in the morning but in late afternoon I have had several. Drivers just seem more uptight later in the day.

20 miler. Hot and windy. It's pretty flat here but man the wind. I weighed in at 187.5 today. About a 20 pound decrease from six weeks ago. I'm thrilled and feel great. I eat better knowing I'm going to ride the next day and I don't eat as much. Just don't feel like it. I do drink ice cold water all day though.

I hear you with the wind. I had a good head wind for the ride home today, and it seemed to suck the energy out of me.

Half my route is on surface streets. Very light traffic at 6am, but quite a bit more at 4pm. So far everyone has been alert, but I have no delusions that they will always be so. I'm learning the cadence of the lights, and getting better at timing them.

[OceanBlue]

Twenty again today with wind but the heat let up a bit. It was below 90 at least. No wonder windsurfers love this place.

[RC Vikings]

Twenty again today with wind but the heat let up a bit. It was below 90 at least. No wonder windsurfers love this place.

It looks like your cycling is progressing nicely. Do you have any long rides planned and where do you live?

[OceanBlue]

RC, I live on the Outer Banks of NC. My actual town name is Kill Devil Hills. Most LDS people out west know it as the home ward of "Duck Beach". It's right on the ocean and sound. I'm debating a long ride. I really don't know what's holding me back from doing one. I know of the fifty mile course and I have the time right now. When I do my twenty I try as hard as I can the whole time and I'm pretty tired. Can I keep that same effort for 50 ?

[RC Vikings]

RC, I live on the Outer Banks of NC. My actual town name is Kill Devil Hills. Most LDS people out west know it as the home ward of "Duck Beach". It's right on the ocean and sound. I'm debating a long ride. I really don't know what's holding me back from doing one. I know of the fifty mile course and I have the time right now. When I do my twenty I try as hard as I can the whole time and I'm pretty tired. Can I keep that same effort for 50 ?

I've got a client near Mt. Airy and on my drive from Raleigh I was surprised at how varied the terrain is up in that area. Beautiful country for a bike ride, by the ocean sounds great also.